editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Geraldo Rivera of Fox News has described NPR's David Folkenflik as "a really weak-kneed, backstabbing, sweaty-palmed reporter." Others have been kinder. The Columbia Journalism Review , for example, once gave him a "laurel" for reporting that immediately led the U.S. military to institute safety measures for journalists in Baghdad. Based in New York City, Folkenflik is the media correspondent for NPR News. His stories and analyses are broadcast on the network's newsmagazines, such as All Things Considered , Morning Edition, and Here & Now , and are featured on NPR's website and mobile platforms. Folkenflik's reports cast light on the stories of our age, the figures who shape journalism and the tectonic shifts affecting the news industry. He profiled the Las Vegas columnist who went bankrupt fending off a libel lawsuit from his newspaper's new owner; conducted the first interview with New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet after his appointment; and chronicled how the demands ofNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94David FolkenflikFri, 04 Aug 2017 14:35:10 +0000David Folkenflikhttp://kazu.org
David FolkenflikCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Trump White House Looks To Quash 'Deluge' Of Leakers http://kazu.org/post/trump-white-house-looks-quash-deluge-leakers
92397 as http://kazu.orgFri, 04 Aug 2017 11:49:00 +0000Trump White House Looks To Quash 'Deluge' Of Leakers David FolkenflikThe Fox News Channel and a wealthy supporter of President Trump worked in concert under the watchful eye of the White House to concoct a story about the death of a young Democratic National Committee staffer, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A new lawsuit alleges that the Fox News Channel and a wealthy Trump supporter concocted a story about the murder of a young Democratic staffer. Twenty-seven-year-old Seth Rich was gunned down last year in Washington, D.C. A former D.C. homicide detective brought this suit. He says Fox News pressured him to falsely claim that Seth Rich had contact with WikiLeaks and that his death was connected to leaked emails from Democratic Party leaders. NPR's David Folkenflik broke the story of this lawsuit and joins us with the latest. Hi, David. DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE: Ari. SHAPIRO: This is a very explosive claim. The suit alleges that President Trump himself may have been aware of this nowLawsuit Alleges Fox News, Trump Supporter Made Up Seth Rich Storyhttp://kazu.org/post/lawsuit-alleges-fox-news-trump-supporter-made-seth-rich-story
92257 as http://kazu.orgTue, 01 Aug 2017 20:29:00 +0000Lawsuit Alleges Fox News, Trump Supporter Made Up Seth Rich StoryDavid FolkenflikThe Fox News Channel and a wealthy supporter of President Trump worked in concert under the watchful eye of the White House to concoct a story about the death of a young Democratic National Committee aide, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The explosive claim is part of a lawsuit filed against Fox News by Rod Wheeler, a longtime paid commentator for the news network. The suit was obtained exclusively by NPR. Wheeler alleges Fox News and the Trump supporter intended to deflect public attention from growing concern about the administration's ties to the Russian government. His suit charges that a Fox News reporter created quotations out of thin air and attributed them to him to propel her story. Fox's president of news, Jay Wallace, told NPR on Monday that there was no "concrete evidence" that Wheeler was misquoted by the reporter, Malia Zimmerman. The news executive did not address a question about the story's allegedly partisan origins. Fox News declined to allow Zimmerman toBehind Fox News' Baseless Seth Rich Story: The Untold Talehttp://kazu.org/post/lawsuit-alleges-fox-news-and-trump-supporter-created-fake-news-story
92231 as http://kazu.orgTue, 01 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000Behind Fox News' Baseless Seth Rich Story: The Untold TaleDavid FolkenflikThe Atlantic magazine, founded in 1857 as a crusading publication by an anti-slavery group, will be acquired by the widow of the man behind the iPod and whose philanthropic organization is named for one of those very abolitionists. Laurene Powell Jobs's Emerson Collective, named for Ralph Waldo Emerson, will buy a majority stake in The Atlantic . The current owner, David Bradley, has transformed the magazine in his eighteen years there, with a greater focus on politics and a refashioning of its finances. Bradley will continue to hold a minority stake in the magazine and is to run it for at least the next three-to-five years, along with his executive and editorial team, which includes Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg. Emerson Collective is likely to acquire Bradley's remaining interest in several years. The sale should close within 60 days, according to Atlantic Media. Other Atlantic Media properties, including National Journal , Quartz and Government Executive Media Group areLaurene Powell Jobs To Buy Stake In 'The Atlantic'http://kazu.org/post/laurene-powell-jobs-buy-stake-atlantic-media
92082 as http://kazu.orgFri, 28 Jul 2017 18:17:00 +0000Laurene Powell Jobs To Buy Stake In 'The Atlantic'David FolkenflikThree investigative journalists at CNN have resigned after the network retracted a story about a congressional inquiry into a link between a Russian investment fund and an American financier who is an adviser to President Trump. Those departing are a past Pulitzer Prize winner, a finalist for the award and a senior editor who had been at CNN since 2001. The resignations are a sign of the stakes for CNN. The cable channel has beefed up its investigative team with major hires from The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , among other outlets, to add more reportorial heft to its coverage of the Trump administration. The network also routinely bears much of the brunt of Trump's rhetorical attacks on the press. CNN's Jim Acosta gets into almost daily skirmishes with White House press secretary Sean Spicer over questions about the administration's transparency. The retracted piece was posted to CNN.com last Thursday under the byline of reporter Thomas Frank. The story, which hinged onCNN Resignations A Sign Of The High Stakes In Covering Trump's Administrationhttp://kazu.org/post/cnn-resignations-sign-high-stakes-covering-trumps-administration
90724 as http://kazu.orgTue, 27 Jun 2017 19:54:00 +0000CNN Resignations A Sign Of The High Stakes In Covering Trump's AdministrationDavid FolkenflikCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: The liberal news and entertainment site best known as The Huffington Post has one of the biggest audiences in online news, about 170 million unique readers a month. Its founder left the organization after a restructuring by its corporate parent. NPR's David Folkenflik set out to find what's happening to The Huffington Post now that Huffington has walked out the door. DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE: This is what the editorial voice of the site sounded like not so very long ago. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: I believe that human beings, all of us, are a mixture of good and evil, if you want, and that the more we can encourage the better angels, it's like strengthening a muscle - the more that will be the dominant behavior. FOLKENFLIK: That's Arianna Huffington, the founder of the site a dozen years ago and its leader until last year, a charismatic and self-created celebrity publisher who capitalized on thePolgreen Aims To Transform The Perception Of 'HuffPost'http://kazu.org/post/polgreen-aims-transform-perception-huffpost
90209 as http://kazu.orgThu, 15 Jun 2017 11:34:00 +0000Polgreen Aims To Transform The Perception Of 'HuffPost'David FolkenflikCBS News is replacing Scott Pelley as anchor of its flagship evening newscast, part of a move intended to shift him full-time to its prestige newsmagazine 60 Minutes , according to a well-placed source at the network. It is not clear how fully Pelley embraced the plan or its timing; he is away from New York City on a reporting trip for 60 Minutes and ordered his belongings moved out of his office at the evening news, the person at the network told NPR late Tuesday night. Pelley could not be reached for comment. CBS News appeared to be caught flat-footed as the news leaked out, first reported by the New York Post . The network has not announced a replacement or issued any public statement as of this writing. Possible future anchors could include Norah O'Donnell of CBS This Morning , Elaine Quijano of CBS Weekend News and the network's digital news services, or even, for a time, CBS This Morning host and long-form interviewer Charlie Rose. Pelley has been direct — at times unsparing — inCBS' Scott Pelley Out As Evening News Anchor, Shifted To '60 Minutes'http://kazu.org/post/cbs-scott-pelley-out-evening-news-anchor-shifted-60-minutes
89507 as http://kazu.orgWed, 31 May 2017 04:23:00 +0000CBS' Scott Pelley Out As Evening News Anchor, Shifted To '60 Minutes'David FolkenflikThe Fox News Channel has retracted a week-old story based on a groundless conspiracy theory involving the death of a staffer for the Democratic National Committee, conceding it did not meet the network's standards. The retracted May 16 online story reported as fact that the late Seth Rich, a 27-year-old Democratic National Committee staffer, was actually the person who leaked tens of thousands of emails from the DNC to WikiLeaks and that his murder was tied to that action. Rich was fatally shot last July in what police have called a botched robbery, and there is no evidence known publicly to suggest he shared those emails. The Rich family had publicly pleaded with Fox News and others to stop trading in such speculation absent facts. "The article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all our reporting," the Tuesday statement read . "Upon appropriate review, the article was found not to meet those standards." The Fox News statement did notFox News Retracts DNC Staffer Conspiracy Story, But Hannity Keeps It Alivehttp://kazu.org/post/fox-news-retracts-dnc-staffer-conspiracy-story-hannity-keeps-it-alive
89248 as http://kazu.orgWed, 24 May 2017 14:52:00 +0000Fox News Retracts DNC Staffer Conspiracy Story, But Hannity Keeps It AliveDavid FolkenflikRoger Ailes, Founder Of 'Fox News,' Dies At 77http://kazu.org/post/roger-ailes-founder-fox-news-dies-77
88984 as http://kazu.orgThu, 18 May 2017 20:48:00 +0000Roger Ailes, Founder Of 'Fox News,' Dies At 77David FolkenflikCan you rely on what White House officials say on behalf of the U.S. government to be true? The answer, even by the account of President Trump himself, is no. Of all the crises and controversies consuming this White House, perhaps none is more fundamental than the collapse of its credibility. And a close look at some of the administration's policies, statements and controversies suggests chief responsibility of that collapse can be laid at the feet of the man who works in the Oval Office. Take one of the latest dramas to play out in Washington, D.C.: whether Trump revealed highly classified secrets in a White House meeting with senior Russian diplomats, as alleged by The Washington Post on Monday. Monday night, Trump dispatched National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, who is held in high regard by leaders of both parties and by journalists, to knock down the story. McMaster called it false even as he confirmed much of the rough outline of the story. And yet the questions intensified onBit By Bit, Trump Is Shredding Credibility Of White House Officialshttp://kazu.org/post/surrounded-controversy-trump-administration-confronts-eroding-credibility
88865 as http://kazu.orgTue, 16 May 2017 20:34:00 +0000Bit By Bit, Trump Is Shredding Credibility Of White House OfficialsDavid FolkenflikSinclair Broadcast Group, based outside Baltimore, announced Monday it had struck a $3.9 billion deal to obtain dozens of local television stations by acquiring Tribune Media. The move, seen as likely to win approval of federal regulators with only modest concessions, would further propel consolidation in the industry. It would also offer a greater reach for one of the nation's most conservative media companies. Though little known in major media centers, Sinclair's holdings are vast. It owns or operates more than 170 local television stations; Tribune Media owns 42 television stations in 33 markets, including the nation's top three: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. With its new holdings, Sinclair would hold stations in seven of the biggest 10 markets. The acquisition, which also requires Sinclair to assume $2.7 billion in debt, would give the company even greater leverage in negotiating deals with the major TV networks whose programming it carries. 21st Century Fox, Rupert Murdoch'sSinclair Broadcast Group Has Deal To Buy Tribune Media's TV Stationshttp://kazu.org/post/sinclair-broadcast-group-has-deal-buy-tribune-medias-tv-stations
88491 as http://kazu.orgMon, 08 May 2017 21:50:00 +0000Sinclair Broadcast Group Has Deal To Buy Tribune Media's TV StationsDavid FolkenflikFox News co-President Bill Shine has resigned and will leave the network within a few weeks, Fox News announced Monday afternoon. Shine's departure is part of the aftershocks of the sexual harassment scandal that has gripped the network since last summer, leading to the departure of former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes last July and of star host Bill O'Reilly last month. Shine will be replaced by his longtime deputy, Suzanne Scott, who becomes president of programming, and Jay Wallace, the executive vice president for news who now becomes president of news. Both have been with the network since 1996, its year of inception. While Shine has never been accused of harassment himself, a growing number of women at Fox News have alleged, some of them in court documents, that he was aware of deeply inappropriate behavior against them and deflected, ignored or sought to suppress their concerns rather than take actions to address them constructively. The recent lawsuits of Fox News commentatorFox News Co-President Bill Shine Resignshttp://kazu.org/post/fox-news-co-president-bill-shine-resigns
88157 as http://kazu.orgMon, 01 May 2017 19:51:00 +0000Fox News Co-President Bill Shine ResignsDavid FolkenflikUpdated at 5:19 p.m. ET A new lawsuit filed Monday by a suspended Fox News host accuses the network and senior executives of arranging to have her private communications spied on as part of a campaign of intimidation. The host, Andrea Tantaros, alleged in a previous lawsuit that she had been sexually harassed by former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes and former top-rated Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. That suit has been stayed while her complaints against the network are being heard in binding private arbitration. All defendants, through their own representatives or through Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox, vehemently denied Tantaros' initial allegations. Ailes and O'Reilly were both forced out of Fox News with major payouts. In Monday's federal lawsuit, Tantaros alleges that Fox News executives including co-President Bill Shine orchestrated the use of material gathered by electronic eavesdropping that was fed to Twitter accounts acting on the network's behalf. Ensuing tweets, sheAiles Accuser Says Fox News Execs Ordered Eavesdropping On Her Digital Deviceshttp://kazu.org/post/ailes-accuser-says-fox-news-execs-ordered-eavesdropping-her-digital-devices
87847 as http://kazu.orgMon, 24 Apr 2017 19:10:00 +0000Ailes Accuser Says Fox News Execs Ordered Eavesdropping On Her Digital DevicesDavid FolkenflikIn forcing out its top-rated star, Bill O'Reilly, the Fox News Channel sought to contain the damage inflicted by a spreading sexual harassment scandal less than a year after the network's chairman was ousted in the face of similar accusations. For Rupert Murdoch and his sons, who together control Fox News as part of a larger media empire, getting rid of O'Reilly is part of an effort to shore up its long-standing drive to regain full control of the European broadcasting giant Sky in a $14.6 billion deal. The broadcaster has a major presence in the U.K., Germany, Italy, Ireland and Austria. And yet, there is a quieter scandal hiding in plain sight — rife with allegations of computer hacking, accusations of fraud, questions of political interference and payouts totaling more than $900 million — all which centered on a relatively anonymous Murdoch enterprise called News America Marketing. The episode that kicked off that controversy was a small one, involving a rival company that stuckBeyond Sexual Harassment, Lesser Known Scandals Could Cost The Murdochs A $14B Dealhttp://kazu.org/post/beyond-sexual-harassment-lesser-known-scandals-could-cost-murdochs-14b-deal
87826 as http://kazu.orgMon, 24 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000Beyond Sexual Harassment, Lesser Known Scandals Could Cost The Murdochs A $14B DealDavid FolkenflikCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: On Fox News the other night, Bill O'Reilly said he was going on a long, planned vacation. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE O'REILLY FACTOR") BILL O'REILLY: This time of year, I grab some vacation because it's spring and Easter time. Last fall, I booked a trip that should be terrific. I'll have a full report when I return. INSKEEP: We can give a fairly full report now. Bill O'Reilly, we now know, traveled to Italy. He met Pope Francis because why would you not? And he also received a message informing him that he has been taken off the air permanently at Fox News. Revelations of just how many times O'Reilly settled sexual harassment lawsuits lead to pressure for Fox to dump its biggest star. And NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik is here. He wrote the book on Fox or a book on Fox. Hi, David. DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE: Hey, Steve. INSKEEP: So what made Fox News care? Because they'd obviously known about the suits for years.What Brought Down Bill O'Reillyhttp://kazu.org/post/what-brought-down-bill-oreilly
87673 as http://kazu.orgThu, 20 Apr 2017 11:31:00 +0000What Brought Down Bill O'ReillyDavid FolkenflikFox News Channel is once more under siege, facing several concurrent scandals and legal challenges scattered across different courtrooms, and casting a pall over the network's executive suites. Fresh and harsh scrutiny cast on star host Bill O'Reilly over allegations that he sexually harassed multiple women has given major corporations pause about associating themselves with the top-rated figure in cable news. In just the past 48 hours, at least 20 advertisers, including prominent automobile manufacturers, announced they would cancel upcoming ads on his prime-time program or avoid placing future commercials there. The ouster of chairman Roger Ailes last summer during a sexual harassment scandal was supposed to calm the waters. Yet two new lawsuits involving unrelated charges of sexual and racial discrimination raise serious questions about the decisions of Fox News Co-president Bill Shine and general counsel Dianne Brandi, among other executives. Each was a long-time Ailes lieutenant.As Scandals Crest, Fox News Once More Under Siege http://kazu.org/post/multiple-scandals-erupt-fox-news
86995 as http://kazu.orgWed, 05 Apr 2017 09:03:00 +0000As Scandals Crest, Fox News Once More Under Siege David FolkenflikA lawsuit filed on Monday morning by a paid political commentator for the Fox News Channel alleges the network's past chairman, Roger Ailes, made unwanted sexual advances while holding out the possibility of a big promotion. Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: Fox News and its former chairman, Roger Ailes, are facing another sexual harassment suit. Fox News contributor Julie Roginsky alleges that Ailes made unwanted sexual advances while holding a big promotion in front of her. The suit says Ailes repeatedly praised Roginsky's looks and sought to get her to join him for drinks in his office. NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik has been following the story this morning. Hey, David. DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE: Hey, David. GREENE: Let's just get some background here. These are not the first charges like this against Ailes. What does Roginsky allege here? And how exactly does it stack up against the previous cases we've seen? FOLKENFLIK: Well, she said that hePaid Political Commentator Files Sexual Harassment Suit Against Aileshttp://kazu.org/post/paid-political-commentator-files-sexual-harassment-suit-against-ailes
86901 as http://kazu.orgMon, 03 Apr 2017 16:14:00 +0000Paid Political Commentator Files Sexual Harassment Suit Against AilesDavid FolkenflikUpdated at 1 p.m. ET A lawsuit filed on Monday morning by a paid political commentator for the Fox News Channel alleges the network's past chairman, Roger Ailes, made unwanted sexual advances while leading her to believe that a big promotion would follow. The suit says Ailes encouraged Fox News contributor Julie Roginsky to date older, married men, repeatedly praised her looks and sought to get her to join him for drinks, even in his office, away from prying eyes that could get them "into so much trouble." Roginsky spurned the advances, according to the lawsuit, and as a result never received the promotion to become host of the popular early evening program The Five. Roginsky's depiction of life at Fox News even after Ailes' ouster last summer at the height of a sexual harassment scandal suggests a far cry from the changed corporate culture promised by the Murdoch family, which controls 21st Century Fox. Patriarch Rupert Murdoch has led Fox News since Ailes was felled by fallout fromFresh Lawsuit Against Ailes Slams Fox News' Response To Harassment Claims http://kazu.org/post/fresh-lawsuit-against-ailes-slams-fox-news-response-harassment-claims
86899 as http://kazu.orgMon, 03 Apr 2017 15:03:00 +0000Fresh Lawsuit Against Ailes Slams Fox News' Response To Harassment Claims David FolkenflikCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: The show "Vice News Tonight" aired its one 100th episode last night on HBO. The show mixes the edgy style of the Vice Media Company with the familiar format of the "Nightly News." NPR's David Folkenflik went to Brooklyn to meet Vice executives and learn more about how their experiment is going. DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE: Vice CEO Shane Smith created a media empire out of a magazine he co-founded more than two decades ago in Canada. It was roguish, rough, macho and young. That last one was becoming a concern. SHANE SMITH: Frankly, we're aging with our demo. So when Vice magazine started, we were a Gen-X company. When we started putting video online as an experiment, everything changed. FOLKENFLIK: Video made Vice young again. SMITH: When we started news, it was a given that millennials didn't give a [expletive] about news. And they sure as hell didn't care about international news, right? So we started doing short-form. It had'Vice News Tonight' Seeks To Reinvent TV News For Millennialshttp://kazu.org/post/vice-news-tonight-seeks-reinvent-tv-news-millennials
86402 as http://kazu.orgWed, 22 Mar 2017 20:38:00 +0000'Vice News Tonight' Seeks To Reinvent TV News For MillennialsDavid FolkenflikCould the U.S. Justice Department prosecute reporters for publishing stories based on classified material? That once-tangential question briefly took center stage during Monday's House Intelligence Committee hearing. As several Republican lawmakers stressed the possible criminality of leaking to the press about the activities of President Trump's advisers and associates, South Carolina GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy went a step further, asking, "Is there an exception in the law for reporters who want to break a story?" FBI Director James Comey demurred. "That's a harder question, as to whether a reporter incurs criminal liability by publishing classified information," Comey said, calling the matter "probably beyond my ken." Gowdy was clearly trying to deflect attention from the investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia. But the issue he raised is central to the practice of journalism. Legal protections far from clear Inside most American newsrooms, the matter might seem closed. There is aQ: Could U.S. Prosecute Reporters For Classified Scoops? A: Maybehttp://kazu.org/post/q-could-us-prosecute-reporters-classified-scoops-maybe
86356 as http://kazu.orgWed, 22 Mar 2017 09:11:00 +0000Q: Could U.S. Prosecute Reporters For Classified Scoops? A: Maybe